Anywhere But Here
by TearStainedRose1989
Summary: Jimmy Chance has a cousin. She came to Natesville to stay with him and his new family, and to start a new life. But first, she has to move on from a rocky past. Sucky summary, but it's a much needed romance for a certain grocery store manager. Getting back into the writing game, so any crit is welcome! :) PS- M rating is due to bits of graphic description of car crash.
1. Chapter 1

For Matthew

11/19/89 - 7/17/10

DESCLIAMER: I do not own ANY of the characters, except Sam. The others belong to Fox, and Raising Hope.

There was something refreshing about traveling to a new place. Like beginning again, on a new planet. At least that's what 22 year old Samantha

thought as she watched the vibrant green trees roll past the window of the Greyhound. An occasional house would fly by, making her smile. A new

start. That's what she needed, and what this was. Nothing scary, although her nerves were telling her different. She needed to keep reassuring

herself that this was good. That it was time to let go, and to move on. It had been six years, and she still found herself waking up in tears at night.

She glanced down at her now bare left hand. She'd finally built up the courage to sell the ring, after finally realizing that she wouldn't need it.

Instead, on her wrist, was a small tattoo. The word BELIEVE was blurred, with the words I ALWAYS WILL splashed across the center. It was a

reminder for her that she needed to live today, because tomorrow would always be better. Her resume had gotten her far, until her last job was lost

due to being laid off. Instead of joining her fellow employees and signing up for unemployment, she took this as a sign that her ''wings'' had grown

too big for this place. So she decided that Natesville was the best place to start over. She'd needed a little encouragement from her Aunt Virginia

Chance, who had offered her a room with her, her husband Burt, and grandmother.

Samantha stretched her legs slightly, as best she could in the cramped space of the bus. She wasn't tall, but she did have long legs. The sun was

setting behind the trees as the bus moved further along, creating a beautiful amber glow. It was just after Halloween. Leaves covered the ground in

piles, creating another canvas for the sun. Samantha wasn't nervous, not really. She'd visited Natesville as a child, and always felt safe in the small

town.

Finally, an hour later, the bus pulled into a lot, where a small group of people waited. Sam tucked her long blond hair behind her ear as she

prepared to stand. Her stop, Natesville. She spotted the familiar faces of her Aunt Virginia and Uncle Burt in the crowd. They were eagerly waiting

for her as the bus slowly came to a halt.

She smiled and took a deep breath before she stepped down onto the pavement. Or attempted to. The second she lifted her foot, gravity decided

not to be her friend. She took a tumble, rolling her ankle in the process and landing right on her butt on the ground. Virginia and Burt both ran

toward her, Burt reaching down and offering his arm.

"I'm okay, just a tiny bump." She straightened her dress and took Burt's hand. When she stood up, she tested her ankle. "You're gonna need to ice

that. I'll get some ice at the grocery store for ya." her uncle told her kindly. She glanced down at her ankle, rolling her eyes.

"You're still as clumsy as Jimmy!" Virginia teased as she held Samantha's arm. Burt grabbed her suitcases and tossed them into the trunk, then

they all piled into the car and headed to the grocery store. It wasn't far from the bus depot, but Sam still had time to admire the scenery of the

small town. As they pulled into the parking lot, a young girl, about Sam's age, waved them down. She has a pretty smile, calm brown eyes, and dark

brown hair.

"That's Sabrina, Jimmy's wife. She's been dying to meet you." Virginia said to Sam. They got out of the car and headed to the front doors. The

grocery store didn't look big from the outside, but inside, it was pretty massive. Sam blinked as the harsh lights caught her sensitive eyes. As they

adjusted, they fell on the familiar face of her cousin, Jimmy. He looked the same, except now he was quite tall. He was wearing a sky blue button

down shirt, with short sleeves, and a bolo tie half undone. His nametag shone in the light. Beside him, a shorter, older looking man was counting

oranges. He was wearing the same blue shirt, except his was tucked in, and appeared much neater.

"Hey! There you are, I've been looking for you." Virginia called. Jimmy looked around and spotted them.

"Oh, sorry. My phone died a little while ago, and Sabrina left hers at home." Jimmy replied as his mother caught up with him. He glanced at Sam.

"Well, I picked your cousin up from the bus station, and I thought you'd want to meet her again, since you haven't seen each other in years."

"Oh, ha. Hi, Sam," Jimmy said. She smiled shyly, leaning against the counter.

"You look exhausted, no offense." he added quickly. She sighed. "I have been traveling for over 24 hours, so I am." She smiled, shrugging. As

Jimmy and Virginia talked, Sam's eyes wandered to the man standing behind Jimmy. He was a bit taller than her, with neatly-combed dark hair,

peppered with grey. She thought he was quite handsome, especially the way his bottom lip stuck out slightly as he concentrated on the oranges,

pointing at one in turn with his pen. She mentally kicked herself. _Breathe, kid. he's gotta be at least twenty years older than you!_

Virginia noticed Sam's stare. "This is Jimmy's boss, Barney. He's the manager here, and a good family friend. Barney, this is Samantha. She's a

distant relative, and she's staying with us. "

Barney looked at her, smiling slightly. "Hi, Samantha, nice to meet you." Barney beamed at her, friendly as always.

Sam said, hi, shifting her weight off her now slightly swollen ankle.

"Well, we gotta get going," Virginia said. "We'll pick Hope up from Shelley's. Come on, let's get that food and get outta here. See you later tonight,

Jimmy. Oh, and Barney, you're welcome to come, too. Burt's got the ice already, good."

It was quiet for a while, as Burt drove them through town. Sam rested her head against the seat, her eyes on the window. They picked up Jimmy's

daughter, Hope, from the daycare she was staying at, and then headed on to the Chance's house. Sam bonded instantly with Hope, as did the little

girl with Sam. Burt and Virginia knew she would; she always had a soft spot for children.

Later in the evening at the Chance house, everyone pitched in and brought something outside to the picnic table. Sam made herself comfortable in

a lawn chair, her hair pulled back into a bun on top of her head. She held her tablet on her lap, Netflix open and displaying one of her favorite

shows, _The Andy Griffith Show._

She'd tried offering to help, but Burt pulled the bowl of potato chips out of her hands, handing it to Jimmy. "Just set that right next to the table,

Jimmy. Sam, you sit, and rest that ankle."

"What happened?" Barney asked Sam as he sat next to her. He was wearing a yellow button down this time, and tan khakis.

She glanced down at her ankle and sighed. "I fell down the steps as I was getting off the bus. I'm clumsy."

Jimmy handed her a cold ginger ale before sitting down next to Sabrina. "Yeah, we have that in common. Right, Barney?" he joked.

His boss nodded, wagging a finger at him. "You just need to start paying more attention, James."

Sam giggled, snorting into her drink. Barney smiled at her.

"Okay, Sam, I got your turkey burger all set. You sure this is all you want to eat?" Jimmy's dad asked as he handed her a plate.

"It's perfect, Burt. I'm not really hungry for much else. Thank you, though." Sam politely took the plate.

"Okay, but there's plenty of food if you get hungry," Burt replied.

After Burt cooked the burgers and handed them out, they all ate and hung out and talked, while watching Hope play with her new play kitchen set.

"Man, I wish I had this stuff when I was a kid. Not that we could have afforded it, but still woulda been nice," Jimmy said. Sam and Sabrina nodded

in agreement.

"But It's just as fun watching Hope play with it though, she looks like she's having the time of her life," Sam chimed in.

"True dat." Sabrina nodded.

Hope sauntered up to Sam, and handed her a small plastic blue cup. "Tea," she said.

Sam's face softened and she smiled sweetly. "Why, I'd love some, darling, thank you. Mmm, that sure is yummy." They all smiled as Hope

pretended to pour herself a cup of tea as well, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, so, I've been dying to ask, what's the plan? I mean, your career?" Sabrina asked as Mamaw joined them, sitting at the picnic table.

"Keep that ankle on ice." the elder woman said to Sam. Sam nodded to her, pointing to her foot. She looked back at her cousin's wife.

"I'm in the process of going back to school," Samantha replied. They all reacted positively. Virginia smiled knowingly, and Sabrina gave an, "Aw,

that's awesome."

"Thanks. I'm getting my schedule sometime next week. I have to take a test first, to see where I'm at academically. Although I haven't decided on

what major I want to go into."

"She's always been very ambitious, You'll find the right one. Just try to avoid anything that involves any vigorous activity. Your mom said you're still

clumsy. " Virginia said.

"I think his clumsiness must have rubbed off on me," Sam joked, making a face at her cousin.

Jimmy laughed. "Nah, you were just as clumsy back then; remember when you fell outta the tree?"

"Hey, I only fell out of the tree because you screamed in my ear, trying to scare me. Admit it, that was your intention the whole time," Sam shot

back lightly. Rolling up her cardigan sleeve, she showed the scar that ran along the back of her arm. Barney and Sabrina both winced.

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, it hurt a lot."

"And there was a lot of blood..." Virginia shuddered.

After a while, Sam started getting goose bumps on her bare legs. She shivered, before remembering that she had a blanket that she'd left out of

her suitcase on purpose. "I'm getting cold, Jimmy, where'd you put my purple blanket?" She made to get up, but Jimmy held up his hand. "I'll get it-"

"Uh, no, please, let me. I need to use the little boy's room anyway. Where is it?" Barney offered, standing up.

"It's the dark purple fleece blanket on the couch, in the living room." Jimmy answered. Barney left. Sam sat back down, and Jimmy looked at his

daughter before saying, "I'm gonna go put Hope down, it's past her bedtime. We'll get her before we leave. Come on, Hope."

Virginia smiled as she spotted Barney with the blanket. He smiled down at Samantha and unfolded the blanket before spreading it out on her lap.

"Here ya go, oops!" He exclaimed as Sam accidently knocked her tablet onto the ground. He bent and picked it up, handing it to her. Sam smiled up

at him, thanking him. He handed her an ice pack before sitting back down. She took it with another thank you, smiling at his thoughtfulness.

" _The Andy Griffith Show_ , huh?" Barney noticed her tablet's screen. Sam blushed instantly, and Jimmy snorted with laughter. Burt smacked him as

his mother said, "Hey, knock it off!"

"What?" Barney asked everyone. Sam sighed and said,

"This is my favorite show; Don Knotts was my childhood hero. He got me through a lot of stuff."

"Well, that's sweet." Barney said. He wanted to show off his impression of Barney Fife, but the look on Sam's face told him she wanted to change

the subject.

The evening ended on a good note, as Hope, Jimmy, Sabrina, and Barney got their coats an headed to their cars. "It was nice meeting you,

Barney," Sam called to the grocery store manager as they all parted ways. He smiled back at her, nodding in agreement.

Sam turned in early that night, feeling the exhaustion from her long trip. Her new room, Jimmy's old one, was bare except his twin bed, and

dresser. Sam settled into the bed with her blanket. After about a half an hour, an unpleasant feeling started sinking into her gut. She looked up at

the window, at the blackness of the night. A knock on the door made her look up from her book. Virginia came in, holding two coffee cups.

"Want some hot chocolate?" She offered. Sam smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Thank you." She sat up and accepted the warm mug as her aunt sat next to her. She sighed and looked around the room.

"Sorry it's a small bed, but you can paint the walls if you want." Virginia said. Sam shrugged.

"It's ok. I don't really need anything fancy." Sam sipped the hot chocolate, leaning her head against her aunt's shoulder. The older woman smiled. It

was nice to finally have someone to look after again. She'd gotten used to having an empty nest after Jimmy and Hope moved out. She smiled

slightly at the little knickknacks Sam had already placed all around the small room. She even recognized the beautiful carasol figurine on her dresser

that her and Burt had given her when she was a little girl.

"How are you?" She asked meaningfully after a few moments. Sam was quiet for a moment before she answered.

"I still dream about it. About him." She turned her wrist over and showed her aunt the tattoo.

"I got this as a graduation gift. From physical therapy. My mom told me I needed something to remind myself why I lived through that." Virginia

held her hand, giving it a tender squeeze.

"You gave all of us one hell of a scare." the older woman said softly. Sam felt a knot form in her chest. She wiped her eyes, and sighed heavily. She

didn't know what to say. She hugged her aunt's arm and closed her eyes. Virginia smiled.

"Everything's gonna be okay. We're glad you're here."

Sam fell into a restless sleep that night, which was nothing new; She almost never slept more than a few hours. Visions of blood, car wreckage,

needles, tubes, and bloodcurdling screams always filled her dreams.

She kept them to herself when they happened. They were a normal part of her PTSD, and nothing could really be done or said to help.

Sam settled in with Burt, Virginia, and Mawmaw, helping out with the housework and looking after Hope when Jimmy's parents were both working.

Mawmaw remembered Sam from just after her accident; Sam didn't talk about it, but the whole family remembered that horrible night. In fact, Sam

was supposed to leave to visit them the week after it happened. Instead, they visited her in the ICU, two weeks later, after several surgeries. To say

goodbye.

Meanwhile, at the present time, Sam took her entrance exams for college. She passed all but the math. So, much to her displeasure, she had to

take a two week refresher course. She almost gave up when she found out that she'd failed that as well.

Virginia was greeted by loud swearing the morning Sam's results came in an email. It had been about a month since she'd moved there. She hurried

out to the kitchen and saw Sam, red faced, glaring daggers at her computer screen.

"Whoa, whoa whoa, baby ears in the house!" She scolded her niece, pointing to the small blond haired baby in the high chair across from Sam.

Hope had spent the night the night before so Jimmy and Sabrina could have a night to themselves. Since Sam had to get up early, she got Hope up

and fed her breakfast before checking her email and making herself a cup of coffee. Sam blinked and looked up.

"Sorry..."

Just then, Jimmy and his boss came in.

"What's goin' on? We could hear you yelling outside." Jimmy asked. Sam bristled and explained,

"I failed the refresher course. Now I have to take an actual math class, which will take a whole year."

Jimmy tilted his head, "I thought that was only a semester-"

"Not for me. I have a learning disability in math, so I'd need more time. Tsk, I _knew_ this was all a bad idea!" She groaned and slammed the

computer closed. Virginia winced and held out her hands to calm her.

"Wait a minute, wait. Barney can help you with that, right Barney? You helped Burt with his taxes, you're good with numbers." she said

Barney glanced at her and nodded.

"W-well, I could, if you'd like me to..." He offered. Sam hesitated for a moment. She was normally very shy around men, but this one seemed to be

a family friend; she supposed as long as he came here she was safe. Sam sighed.

"Thanks, Barney. I appreciate it. You're a real sweetheart."

So the next day, after Sam had gotten her confirmation email and had set up her new class schedule (she discovered that she needed to take a few

others as well, including biology and chemistry) and had given Barney a copy of it, he made a habit of stopping by for an hour every night, to help

her. She offered to pay him, but Barney refused. He told her that he liked numbers, and it gave him an excuse to close the store early.

Two weeks went by, and not only was Sam passing thanks to Barney, but they were getting to know each other more. More than a few times, Sam

reached her limit and came close to giving up. Remembering her love of _The Andy Griffith Show_ , Barney used his Barney Fife voice and said,

"Come on, now. Nip that word in the bud! You _can_ do this, and you _will_!"

Sam's expression went from one of disdain and frustration, to shock and amusement. From then on, it was easier to get her to focus.

When the first semester came and went, she passed the classes with flying colors. Math was a close one, but she passed it nonetheless. She felt a

bit sad knowing she wouldn't be spending any time with Barney.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanksgiving was only two weeks away. Barney and Sam were sitting out in the back yard at Jimmy's parents' house. Sabrina and Jimmy were inside, helping Virginia fold laundry on the table.

"You see it too, don't you." Sabrina said to her husband as he stacked the first pile next to the door.

They peered through the window above the sink, where Barney and Sam could be seen sitting at the picnic table. He was helping her go over her latest homework assignment.

Although Jimmy was clueless, Sabrina could very clearly see the spark growing between the two outside. Barney was very obviously unable to take his eyes off of Sam, while she seemed either to ignore it, or not notice. Jimmy looked around at Sabrina, not saying a word. Virginia smiled lovingly.

"We do." She said, a towel folded over her arm.

"She's gotta figure it out on her own.'' The older blond's voice softened as she shook her head.

About two hours later, when everyone had left, Barney and Sam took a break from studying and each grabbed a drink of cold lemonade.

"You get a few days off, right, for Christmas?" Barney asked her as they sat at the kitchen table.

Sam shook her head, shuddering

"Don't remind me. I'm gonna go insane with boredom. When I'm not studying, there's nothing for me to do to keep busy." She said.

"Aren't you working?" Barney asked. Sam sighed.

"I wish. No one's hiring. I applied at a few places, but they aren't looking." Sam leaned back in her chair, sipping he drink slowly

Before Barney could stop himself, he blurted out,

"You could come and work at Howdy's."

Sam thought for a minute, then decided she liked the idea.

"Well...I do need to start working...And I could use some social interaction...what the heck, sure." Sam shrugged, beaming from ear to ear.

The next day, Barney decided to call Virginia.

"Hi, Barney, what's going on?" Virginia Chance answered the phone, concerned. Her son's boss never called her unless there was an issue or emergency.

Virginia had already talked to Samantha about the possibility of getting a part time job, just to keep occupied, while she wasn't working on school stuff. She was a little hesitant, since she didn't know anyone in town, but she promised she would try. Virginia listened patiently to Barney as he relayed the conversation he'd had with Sam, and his own thoughts.

"Well, Barney, I won't lie, she is having a rough time. If you think it would work, I'm sure it will, she just needs to get out of the house, and keep occupied when she's not studying. She tends to bite off more than she can chew when it comes to that."

So the following day, Sam came in with Jimmy and Sabrina, wearing one of Sabrina's work shirts.

"Aw, you didn't have to do that, I have a few extra shirts on hand," Barney protested lightly when he saw Sam wearing the shirt.

"Sabrina insisted." Sam shrugged.

"Well, I got this made for you, and I'm gonna have to ask you to please wear it at all times in the store." He said, in his best 'boss" voice, before handing her a nametag, identical to Jimmy and Sabrina's, which read SAMMI. Sam caught the light sparkle in his eye and blushed. He'd remembered her pet name. Barney's face became all business, but his eyes were still smiling kindly.

As it turned out, Sam was extremely efficient at stocking shelves. And fast. Barney was impressed with how she had most of the inventory taken care of in half the time it would normally take him to do it. Now he felt bad about the measly salary she had.

"Don't worry, I'd do this for free if it was legal! I love organizing stuff," she told him.

The first week flew by fast, and Sam had fun with her new coworkers, and boss. Sam worked enthusiastically, always with a smile, which was quite infectious. She had nothing but good days, always with a cheerful attitude. She made every single day count, even the ones that hurt.

Rainy days were the most was fresh pain, but dull at the same time. Sam somehow worked through them, desperately clinging to any little thing to keep her spirits up. She'd sing, even if there was no music playing, and try to get others to join her. Sometimes, when the radio played a song she liked, she'd sway her hips from side to side slightly, dancing along to it cheerfully. Barney had a hard time keeping his eyes on his own tasks when she did this. He was half tempted to scold her about it; it was a safety hazard after all. Instead, he let her cousin pickon her in his own lighthearted way.

"You're gonna fall on your butt one of these days, kid." Jimmy teased her, and Barney chuckled from his spot at the lunch table as she stuck her tongue out at her cousin.

"Life's too short to not fall on your butt a few times," she said. Jimmy rolled his eyes half heartedly as she giggled. "Besides, I fall on my butt pretty near every day."

"Yeah, you do. Go eat, you're a twig." Jimmy poked her shoulder.

Sitting down, she pulled her purse out onto the table. Barney was already sitting across from her, eating a sandwich and reading the newspaper.

"Hiya, boss!" Sam beamed cheerfully. Barney smiled sheepishly. He seemed to always get tongue tied around her, which Sam could sense. She found it cute.

"I'll get the fruit all set when I finish eating, is that okay?" she asked. Barney nodded, grinning slightly.

Sam was very satisfied with her job, even though it wasn't much. She was just glad to help. She even offered to help with things that weren't usually part of it.

Thanksgiving was getting closer. Two days away, and everyone was preparing for it. Even Barney. Sam choked on her tea as he came out of his office that morning, wearing a ridiculous looking hat covered with feathers. Wiping the hot liquid off her chin, she raised her eyebrow.

Her cousin elbowed her in the ribs. "He does this every year; try not to get in his way till after next week." Jimmy warned her quietly, suppressing his own grin. Sam snorted, biting her lip.

So she stayed away from Barney. But she did feel bad for him, as she watched him get stressed out over the smallest tasks. Finally, as lunch hour rolled around, and he made no move to sit, Sam got an idea. She had learned how to do it from an old friend, and was told she was great at it. So, the next time she saw the vein start to stick out in his neck, she let her nurturing instincts kick in and made her move.

"Alright, Barney," she said firmly from behind him. He startled, looking around. Sam grabbed his shoulders, and gently but firmly shoved him down into a chair used for lunch breaks. "Don't move. You need to relax, or you're gonna have a stroke. Look, the vein in your neck is already standing out." She was surprised at how tense he was. "I learned this from a friend who was a professional. Stay still," She wasn't giving him any opportunity to object, so despite his flaming cheeks, he sat still. Sam smirked, digging her fingers into his shoulders.

A soft moan escaped him as she slowly loosened the tension there. She worked her fingers down, and in between his shoulder blades, where most of the stiffness was. Barney yelped slightly at that, and jumped a little. Sam smiled, trying not to laugh at the cute noises he was making.

"It's gonna hurt a bit, sorry. You're _really_ tense," she said.

Barney let out a slight grunt at her words, letting her know he understood. "Y-you are really good-ah!-at this." he yelped again as she caught ahold of a particularly tight knot. He bit his lip and closed his eyes, letting out another moan.

Sam giggled and leaned forward, using her elbow instead of her fingers on his right shoulder. This brought her hair forward in front of her. Barney caught a whiff of her shampoo, which made him shiver. She smelled heavenly, and he didn't know how to react to it. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "I hope this isn't too personal, but what kind of shampoo do you use? Your hair smells really nice."

Sam glanced down at her loose locks. "Oh, thanks. It's Herbal Essences. I use the one called Long Term Relationships. It's my favorite one because of the smell."

Trying to distract himself, he focused on her touch, working magic into his tight muscles. That didn't really help, but it was less distracting than her scent. He wasn't expecting her touch to be so intoxicating. He'd known she would be gentle; she had very small and delicate hands that were very obviously meant to be nothing but.

Sam smiled, almost losing herself as she pressed her hands into Barney's form. She almost wished she didn't have to stop. When she finished, Barney's eyes were still closed, and he was slack jawed. Sam giggled. "All done," she announced, giving his arms a light squeeze.

Barney looked up at her. "Thank you, that was wonderful," he said as she sat beside him.

Sam smiled. "You're welcome. You definitely needed that," she said. She grabbed her purse,and rummaged around inside it. She pulled out a small tube of hand lotion and squeezed a generous amount onto her hand. Then Sam reached out.

"Give me your hand," she commanded.

Barney frowned, and did as she said. She gently began massaging his hands, one at a time. "You keep this up, I may end up falling asleep," Barney joked.

Sam laughed. As she worked his hand, she felt a lurch in her stomach. Like small worms moving around, causing her own hands to shake a little.

Barney noticed, especially since he felt it in his stomach too. He watched her face as she worked. She had a small dimple on her right cheek, that became more prominent when she smiled. Being this close to her, he also noticed that her eyes weren't blue; they were in fact a grey that reminded him of the cloudy skies on a rainy day. A small scar stood out vertically just before the beginning of her left eyebrow. She had pale skin, which made the scar stand out.

"There, now your hands aren't gonna cramp up again." Sam's voice broke Barney's focus on her face. He blinked and looked down at his hands. "Wow,"

After a while, the store started winding down to its normal customers, not as heavily packed as it had been. Barney and the others were able to relax as they closed up, finally.

Thanksgiving came and went, and soon it was Christmas season. Sam was so used to snow, that she felt a little crestfallen when Jimmy broke the news to her that they didn't get snow in Natesville.

"Aw, come on, it's cold! Why would you want that stuff here?" he said.

Sam glared at him. "It's not Christmas without snow!" she grumbled.

So she packed up her winter clothes, and set out to bring them to the nearest Goodwill. She wasn't that sad to see them go. As she stepped out of the Goodwill, she muttered to herself about needing to start saving up for a new car. Correction; A car. A horn honking caught her off guard, and she turned to see her boss waving her down from an SUV. She smiled, stopping so he could catch up.

"Need a ride?" he asked.

Sam glanced down at her feet, which were sore from walking all day.

"Sure." She got in, thanking him as she got in. "Gosh, my feet hurt. I had to walk since the bus didn't allow carry ons."

"I would have given you a ride, you know." Barney said. He didn't like the idea of her walking so far by herself. Especially with a sack of clothes.

"It's ok. Honestly I didn't think of it," she said, brushing her hair out of her face. She sighed and relaxed against the seat. "My mom always hates when I decide to donate to Goodwill; she says it never gets done." She chuckled.

Barney nodded, "My moms are the same way. But it's nice to give things away rather than throwing away still useful stuff."

"Exactly! Ugh, it really bugs me when people do that," Samantha said. She spotted a hanging key chain around his rearview mirror that had a rainbow with a small picture of two older women. She smiled as she recognized one of them; she had Barney's beautiful smile-

Beautiful? Where did that come from?! She mentally kicked herself.

"Those are my moms," Barney's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She realized she was holding the ornament in her fingers. Blinking, she carefully let it go. "They're lovely," she said. Barney smiled again, which made Sam's heart skip a beat. She looked quickly out the window, hiding her blush.

"Thanks. They live out of town, just got married a few years ago," he said.

Sam looked back at him. She smiled."That's awesome. You must be happy for them,"

"What about you? Are you close with your parents?" Barney asked, curious.

Sam shrugged. "My mom, yes. My dad, pfft. He ditched us when I was still in diapers, and I've only seen him a handful of times since. Not much of a loss, actually. He's a jackass."

"Sorry to hear that," Barney offered, but she waved dismissively.

"Don't be; I was and will be better off without him in my life. My mom raised me on her own, and I wouldn't have it any other way." As they pulled up into the driveway, Sam unbuckled her seatbelt and sat up straighter. "Thank you, so much for this. I really appreciate it, Barney," she said, smiling.

Barney gave her a smile and a nod. "You're welcome. Anytime you need a ride, just let me know."

"Thanks. Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She hopped down onto the pavement, and made her way inside.

Later that night, after showering and brushing her teeth, she sat with her aunt and uncle at the kitchen table. They were chatting merrily about Hope's progress in head start. Sam had been quiet the whole day, since Barney had dropped her off.

She'd started having feelings for him, and it was scaring the hell out of her. She had sworn, four years ago, that she would never let herself feel that way again. But now, here she was, looking forward to the next day when she could see her boss-her friend.

"Hey, you okay? You've been quiet a long time," Virginia cut through her thoughts.

Sam blinked, looking up from her now cold cup of tea. "Yeah, just got a lot on my mind." She smiled slightly. Giving up on her tea, she sighed and pushed the cup away. "I'm gonna head to bed, I'm exhausted. Night, everyone. Night, Mawmaw," She kissed the old woman's cheek and gave her aunt and uncle each a hug before heading to her room.

The broken record that had haunted her sleep for the past five years began its usual song as she got comfortable under the covers. She tried focusing on admiring her finally finished bedroom. She'd painted the walls a soft mint color to complement her bedding; it was one thing she refused to leave behind. Pale blue green with white polka dots, and flowers and stripes to accent them in lime greens, yellows, and pinks. She was rather proud of how she'd pulled it together.

But her thoughts kept wandering back to Barney. Was she an idiot? He was older than her, that much was clear by the grey in his hair. But that was one of the things that she liked about him. And his smile. His laugh. The way he scrunched his eyebrows and puckered his bottom lip when he was concentrating, or listening to someone talk. His kindness, and generosity. And the way he handled panic stricken customers who'd lost their children in the store. He was even very sweet with children.

Sam sighed. This wasn't fair. She thought she'd made progress, but moments like this made her doubt it. She turned and stared up at the ceiling. She knew Barney liked her too. She tried hard to ignore it, and even harder not to show her own feelings. But the more time she spent with him, the more she felt herself falling for him.

Sometime later, thankfully, she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Sam kept herself occupied by dragging out the Christmas decorations from the attic with Virginia. Burt was still at work, and the two women had wanted to surprise him and have the whole house decorated, since he wasn't good at it.

"He's putting up the lights outside, but we can do the inside, with Hope, that way Jimmy and Sabrna can do their house by themselves." she said, as each of them grabbed a box and opened it.

Sam was in her element. She loved Christmas, and looked forward to it every year. Now that there was a kid to spoil, she was even more excited for it; she'd saved up enough money to help both of Hope's parents buy a few really big ticket items.

"I can't wait for you to open your gifts, Hopey. You're gonna be the happiest little girl in the whole world," Sam said, beaming at Hope. The little girl smiled, pulling garland out of her box.

An hour before Burt was due to come home, they finished the house. Sam even brought out her most prized possession; a red and gold striped knitted blanket her grandmother had made for her when she was 16. "Oh, that's beautiful. Are you sure you want to leave it out here?" Virginia gently touched the soft blanket as Sam straightened it out over the back of the sofa.

"Of course. I want to show it off. Besides, Hope likes covering up with it when she watches Dora out here."

The old house looked and smelled wonderful, with a homemade apple pie baking in the oven. The tree glittered in the living room, already surruonded by gifts. Virginia was extremely relieved to learn that Sam possessed an unlimited talent for cooking, and baking. "You better make one of these for Barney, he'll love it," Virginia teased her as she carefully pulled it out of the oven. She didn't miss the slight blush on her neice's cheeks.

"I plan to," Sam giggled.

Sam gently pulled Hope's hand away as the little girl eagerly stood up on her tiptoes to see the pie.

"Hang on, sweetie, we gotta let it cool down first; it'll be ready to eat after dinner, I you'll burn yourself."

Burt was very impressed when he returned from work. "Wow! This looks incredible. What smells so good?" he exclaimed, His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"That is dinner. And dessert." his wife gloated. Burt's face fell ever so slightly, but Sam said, "I cooked, but Aunt Virginia helped."

For dinner, they had pot roast, boiled potatoes and fresh green beans. Dessert was almost gone as quickly as it was set on the table. Burt laughed as his granddaughter scarfed down two whole pieces.

"Uncle Burt, she's gonna puke," Sam chuckled, taking the second piece from her gently. "Take a break, love. You're gonna get sick." Sam tucked Hope into bed that night, after reading a story to her and singing a lullaby. She enjoyed spending time with the little girl, and Hope was loving the extra attention.

"So, Christmas gifts." Jimmy said to his boss as he gave him a ride to work. Sabrina had to take Hope to a dentist appointment, so Barney offered to pick Jimmy up.

Barney gave Jimmy a confused look.

"Mom wants to know who's getting who a gift." Jimmy explained.

"Doesn't she know the point of Secret Santa?" Barney asked, as he turned onto the next street. Jimmy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I tried telling her that, but she wouldn't listen."

"Well, I picked Hope's name out of that hat, but I was already planning to get her a gift, like I always do. " Barney said. Jimmy nodded.

"Okay. I got Sam. She's hard to buy for though. All I really know about her is that her favorite color is purple, and she loves Bath and Body Works. She has a whole shelf full of body stuff from there."

"Well you coul-hey isn't that Sam? What is she doing over there?" Barney pointed to Jimmy's cousin, who was sitting outside the Natesville Rehabilattion center nearby. Jimmy glanced at her.

"That's the cardiac center-"

"Hmm...dunno, maybe she needed a physical for her insurance?" Jimmy wondered out loud. Realizing he said it out loud, he shook his hea and changed the subject.

"Anyway, I could what? It's her first Christma here, so I don't want get her a crappy gift. She is family after all."

,"Oh, right. Well, she loves Don Knotts. Get her a few of his movies. They're always at Walmart." Barney suggested. Jimmy's eyes lit up.

"You're right! I forgot about that!" He laughed, telling Barney about how she adored the actor when she was growing up.

"She had this photo of him that she always brought with her, every time she came to stay with us. Mawmaw and her would spend hours watching that show together."

Later that night, Jimmy came by to drop off his Christmas gifts for the family (Sabrina wrapped them for him).

"So how'd the appointment go? Everything okay?" Jimmy heard his mom ask Sam from the stove. Sam shrugged over her cup of hot apple cider as she sat at the table.

"Patch is holding. No murmurs or leaks." Jimmy came up to stand next to her. He put a hand gently on her shoulder.

"You'll be okay." he said kindly. Sam gazed up at him, her eyes far away. She pulled on a fake smile for her cousin and he gave her a gentle hug before leaving. Then it was just Sam and Virginia.

"Samantha. Talk to me, sweetheart." Virginia's soft voice lapped gently against her quvering psyche, urging it to open just a little. She blinked hard, and looked up at her aunt.

"Every time a doctor tells me I'm doing better everyday, I hate myself even more for surviving. When he didn't."

Sam suffered from Survivors' guilt. But she hid it well. The many continuing doctors' appointments, heart checkups, they were all just a constant reminder of what she did lose. Her heart was repaired, even after literally beng nearly ripped to shreds, but it was still broken.

She was taunted by the praises she got from the doctors. She wanted to scream at them that they missed something. That she wasn't done healing. But the truth was, she knew she'd never heal completely. No matter how long it'd been since that night.

She still hated the sight of her own reflection. She'd purposefully cover herself before stepping out of the shower, just so she couldn't see the long thick white line that stood out prominantly, running down her sternum. She had many scars from that night, but that one was the most prominant one. The only ones she couldn't hide were the ones on her face, from the glass of the windsheild. Luckily those ones weren't very noticable.

Christmas was fun, even for Sam. She and the other adults weren't disappointed with Hope's rection to her gifts.

"Finally she doesn't have the eye of a dead fish!" Mawmaw blurted out. Virginia exclaimed "Mawmaw!"

Jimmy was lucky enough to find a few movies that Sam loved, with Don Knotts in them. She gave Burt a new paiting she'd done of a beautiful boat sitting peacefully on the water.

"Ooh! I love the colors!" Burt cried happily. He'd bugged her many times for a painting after seeing how talented she was at it. Sam blushed.

"Well, you are hard to shop for, so I hope this is okay."

Virginia got Sabrina, so her gift was a dark brown sweater with an ornate turquoise S on the front.

Sabrina got Barney a new Bolo tie. His old one kept falling off, so she found nicer one.

Mawmaw was a hard one to buy for, but Burt got her a new bedding set. It was a beautful quilt, with bright colors, with matching pillow shams. Mawmaw of course loved it, and thanked her ''husband'' for it with a very sensual kiss (Barney covered Hope's eyes and Burt coughed the smoke out the side of his mouth when the old woman got up to put her new bedding away).

Barney's gift for Hope was a small vanity tabe, complete with a little pretend makeup kit. She squealed with joy when she saw it and squeezed Barney tightly in a hug.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER; The song lyrics are from Taylor Swift's Last Kiss.

One night, in January, after everyone had already left, it was just Sam and Barney alone in the grocery store. He had gotten angry earlier that day

at another employee who had left while in the middle of putting up a banner over the freezers. Now he stood, his hands on his hips, glowering at the

half of the banner that was dangling on the ground. He had a fear of heights, and the stupid thing was up above his comfort level. He could wait till

the day after tomorrow, when Sabrina would be in, but that would mean leaving it hanging there for a whole day. But then he got an idea. Looking

around, he spotted Sam with his clipboard, checking off her stocked items for that day.

He approached her. "Are you afraid of heights?"

Sam looked up. "Not really. I don't like flying or Ferris wheels, but that's about it. Why?" she replied, handing him the clipboard.

He took it, and pointed to the dangling banner. Sam could tell he was annoyed, by the slight pout of his bottom lip. Ignoring the squirming in her

stomach, Sam followed his gaze, and noticed the banner. Tutting, she rolled her eyes and grabbed the step ladder. As she dragged it to the wall,

she made a mental note to kck the guy who left it there.

"I'll hold it, I just can't, you know-" Barney offered.

Sam shrugged. "It's not a big deal, I don't mind." She grabbed the banner and moved far enough to the other side to prop the step ladder up.

Barney held it steady as she climbed up onto the top, and pinned the banner up.

"How's that?" she asked her boss over her shoulder.

Barney leaned back, and examined the banner's position. Perfect. "It's perfect. Thank you so much."

He held onto the side of the step ladder as Sam made to step down. Predictably, her foot missed a step, and she yelped as she tumbled downward.

Barney reacted instinctively, grabbing onto her waist as she fell on top of him.

Sam found herself straddling his waist, while Barney laid flat on the floor on his back. Sam's eyes were huge and both of their faces were red as a

brick. For a few seconds, neither one moved, just stared at each other, Barney's hands glued to her hips still, while her hands laid on either side of

his head. Both could feel the other's heartbeat racing.

Then Sam blinked. "Uh, are you ok?" she asked, before quickly scrambling off of her boss. Barney nodded. Sam glanced down at her shirt, making

sure there were no lost buttons.

"Are you? Looks like you pulled something," Barney said.

Sam shook her head, tugging the bottom of her shirt down. "I'm fine." she said.

Barney stood up and offered her his hand. "Thank you, for, you know, helping with that." he said.

Sam smiled slightly. "Anytime. And thank you, for breaking my fall," She giggled nervously.

After that, things seemed different between them. Barney couldn't seem to meet her eyes, but it wasn't only him now. Sam always found excuses to

not be around Barney, or left alone with him. Truth is, they both felt something in that moment. Something that neither one was ready to address.

Barney didn't know about Sam's past, or even if she had one. Sam on the other hand, was a bit embarrassed by her lack of experience with men.

She'd forgotten about the butterflies in the stomach feeling that she had now. Barney was feeling the same, but was too shy to say or do anything.

So he felt just as content watching from the sidelines as she worked, occasionally spending evenings with her and her cousin's family during

barbeques.

A month had passed since the incident, and Barney had given her the day off (she'd now been promoted and worked alongside Sabrina as a cashier)

since she had a bunch of things to do for school. She stopped in to grab a drink on her way home, and to tell Sabrina and Jimmy her good news.

Barney saw her from his office, wearing a yellow floral print sundress, her hair in a long braid.

"I passed! They finally got my info. I start my next semester in a week." she said happily to Sabrina.

Sabrina smiled. "That's great!" she said.

The next few days were spent studying, and working, with little time in between. The whole weekend flew by quickly.

She had a spring in her step now. One that was much more noticeable than before. And she wore makeup. Normally, Barney disapproved of his

employees wearing makeup, but it was subtle, so he allowed it. And he thought she looked pretty with it. Especially since it seemed to attract more

customers to her register.

"My daughter loves your pretty eyes," one lady said, her little girl smiling brightly up at Sam.

"Aw, thank you, sweetheart." She smiled down at the little girl, giving her a friendly wink.

She worked three days a week, while the rest of her time was spent studying. Virginia and Burt gave her space, but worried when she became too

caught up in her studies. A few times they would hide her books when they knew she'd made enough progress to take a break. Lucky for her, most

of the time, she had finished enough so that she wouldn't have to work on any homework for a whole week.

The day after Valentine's Day, Sam looked at the board in the employees lounge, writing down her schedule. Her stomach clenched as she realized

she would be alone with Barney that evening. The entire day, the butterflies fluttered, more and more with each passing hour.

The sky was dark as the last customers left. The doors closed with a louder click than they usually did, or so it seemed. Sam's hands shook slightly

as she went about her duties. She was aware that Barney was in his office, taking care of his stuff.

If she was honest, she would say that she kind of wished that something would happen. But little did she know, that Barney was hoping the same

thing.

Sam finished closing up her register, heading toward the doors to lock them. As she stepped away from the counter, a familiar song began playing

over the radio, catching her off guard.

She stopped for a fraction of a second, her heart skipping several beats. As she locked the doors, she bit her lip, trying to ignore the tears

threatening to fall from her eyes.

I still remember the look on your face

Lit through the darkness at 1:58

The words that you whispered

For just us to know

You told me you loved me

So why did you go away?

Away

Barney never noticed the silence. But he did notice the soft voice that was drifting towards his open door. Frowning slightly, he listened. He'd never

heard her sing before. As he listened, he caught the sadness in her voice. Slowly, he got up, walking to the doorway. There she stood, her eyes

closed as she swayed from side to side gently. Her voice sounded far away, like the words falling from her lips were for someone who couldn't hear.

Her hands were clutched at her heart. Lifting her arm, she gracefully swirled herself in a circle, obviously eons away in her mind. Her expression was

unreadable, almost like she was see something he couldn't.

But now I'll go sit on the floor

Wearing your clothes

All that I know is

I don't know how to be something you miss

I never thought we'd have a last kiss

Never imagined we'd end like this

Your name, forever the name on my lips

As she continued, she slowly drifted her way closer to the office door, where Barney stood, entranced. She was beautiful, and her voice was melting

his heart as she twirled and swayed on her feet. He gasped softly when he caught a glimpse of her face. Her eyes were closed, and she totally got

lost in the music, oblivious to her surroundings. But she was crying silently. She swayed to the music, as though she were dancing with a ghost,

until she caught Barney's eye. By then, she was less than a foot away from him. She lost her footing and slipped, catching Barney off guard.

...So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep.

And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe.

And I keep up

with our old friends just to ask them how you are...

Barney quickly wrapped his arms around her, catching her before she fell onto the floor.

 _...Hope it's nice where you are..._

It was silent for a moment, as they both stared at each other, the radio now singing alone.

..And I hope the sun shines

And it's a beautiful day

And something reminds you

You wish you had stayed

You can plan for a change in weather and time

But I never planned on you changing your mind...

Barney's chest felt heavy as he brought one hand up to her cheek, where a stray tear fell. He brushed it away, feeling like he was seeing a baby bird

finally coming out of its shell. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her lips. For a moment, just a single moment, it was perfect. Sam felt her soul

begin to stir, as though it had finally woken from a deep and fitful nap, having cried itself to sleep. Her chest ached, the beating of her heart

reminding her almost painfully that she was indeed still alive. She brought her hands up to Barney's chest, while a small voice screamed at her to

stop.

Barney gently wrapped his arm around her waist, intending to pull her closer, but his touch seemed to bring Samantha's attention back to reality.

She gasped, and opened her eyes.

Just like our last kiss

Forever the name on my lips

Forever the name on my lips

 _Just like our last..._

"No...I can't..." she sobbed, pulling out of Barney's arms before running out the open back door. Barney stared after her, unsure of what to make of

her. He was confused and concerned to say the least.

He stayed behind, now pondering what to do next. He'd wanted to ask her on a date, but her reaction to him kissing her made him think twice. He

was also worried for her well being. Was she ill? Did she go through something traumatic? Did he hurt her? Did he cross a line?

Samantha ran, she ran so fast, she didn't even feel the ground flying beneath her feet. She ran so fast, the raindrops falling seemed to miss her

pale skin. When she got to the front porch, she collapsed in front of it, resting her forehead against the old wooden door. Her fist weakly pounded

against it, and her face screwed up in intense agony as she cried.

That was how Mawmaw found her. It was a stroke of luck that she was lucid at that moment. The old woman sat in the lawn chair beside the door,

and Sam, aware of her presence, moved to rest her head in Mawmaw's lap. She was silent for a while, softly stroking Sam's matted, now soaked

hair. Then Sam sat up, running her hands through her hair.

"I can't- I can't do it..." She couldn't get the words out. Her chest felt painfully tight, and her head was pounding. A fresh wave of tears made their

way down her cheeks, and she sobbed, grabbing at her hair. Mawmaw made a gesture that she didn't see, and suddenly, a pair of warm, familiar

arms enveloped the grief-stricken girl.

Virginia's voice said, "Yes you can. Shh, it's alright..." She held her niece as she cried. After a long while, Samantha began to calm down. Tears still

stained her cheeks, but she was able to breathe as she sat back. "Wanna tell me what happened?" Virginia asked.

Sam leaned against her shoulder. She sighed, wiping her eyes. Looking down at her hands, she whispered, "He kissed me. And...I kissed him

back..."

Images flew through her mind, a smiling teenaged boy wearing a graduation gown; The gleaming diamond ring he'd proposed with; The clock on

Sam's phone reading ''7/17/10 3:34 AM" just as she received a call from "Restricted"; The sleek brown coffin being lowered into the

ground...Then...a new face. Barney's beautiful, goofy smile. his delighted face when he tried her apple pie for the first time; His wide, shocked eyes

shining up at her as she sat on top of him. His expression as he leaned down to kiss her just moments ago...

Sam coughed and clutched at her hair again. She wanted this so badly. But she was terrified. She didn't think she knew how to love him, the way he

deserved to be loved. Virginia hugged her, gently rocking her in her arms.

"Let it out, honey. I know..."

Virginia knew. Samantha wasn't crying because she was sad. She was letting go, finally, truly letting go of the pain, the grief, the heartache, and

the loss that she'd held onto for so heart was healed. The patch that held it together was strong; she didn't need to beat herself up

anymore. She survived. She survived!

"How...?" Sam questioned no one in particular.

Virginia shook her head and answered, "The same way you got through these past four years, sweetheart. But without the pain." She reached down

and took ahold of Samantha's left hand. Gently, she pointed to the tattoo on Sam's wrist. "You got this why?"

"To...remind me to always believe in love. That I survived for a reason...That one day..." She couldn't bring herself to admit it.

"That one day," Virginia finished, "You would find someone to take this hand, and hold it. The way Barney did. And guess what? That day is today,"

So many questions spun through Samantha's mind. Her aunt seemed to sense them. She smiled knowingly, and said, "You're not done crying. Trust

me, I can tell. But you will be, after tonight. Go home, I'll drop you off, and go to bed. Let yourself heal, so you can love again. Can you do that?"

Sam nodded. She took a deep breath, and wiped her face. Despite herself, a small smile began shining through her eyes.

Virginia caught it and asked, "See?" She laughed as her niece blushed.

Sam found herself longing for Barney to kiss her again. He was a good kisser. Or maybe she was just out of practice. She bit her lip and said, "He's

a good kisser!"

They both giggled as they walked to the car.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Virginia decided to leave work early and visit Barney when she knew Sabrina and Jimmy weren't in the store. Sam had called in sick,

which wasn't a surprise.

Barney knew, the second he spotted Jimmy's mom, that he must be in trouble; why else would she be here, in the middle of the day, while Jimmy

and Sabrina were out on their lunch break?

He finished stocking the shelf of baby powder and turned to see Virginia standing patiently next to the display of paper towels. She caught the

scared puppy look on his face and smiled sympathetically. "Don't look so scared, Barney. I'm not here to yell at you," she reassured him.

Barney visibly relaxed, but still looked worried. "Is she-I didn't mean to up-" He stopped, at a loss for words.

Virginia grabbed his shirtsleeve and pulled him to his office. When the door was closed, she turned and said, "Barney, you have no idea what you

did, do you?"

A small piece of Barney's heart shattered at her words. He knew it. She was hurt. He'd unintentionally pushed her further back into the cage she'd

locked herself into, and he now felt more awful than he'd ever felt in his life. Glancing down at his desk, he shook his head.

Virginia leaned across the desk, her hand reaching for his shoulder, her voice soft. "You helped her." Barney's eyebrows knitted together in

confusion as he looked up at her. "Sit down, Barney," it wasn't an order, but an invitation. For answers. He was silent as he listened, as Virginia told

him everything. "She fell in love with a boy in her freshman year. They were together all the way through high school. Even went to prom together.

She was his first kiss, her first love. Then, he proposed to her after they graduated."

Barney smiled despite himself. It sounded like she'd had the perfect fairy tale love. But then Virginia's expression turned sad. "A month later, they

were in a car accident." Barney's heart clenched in horror. Virginia sniffled and reached for her purse. She looked through it till she found her wallet,

then pulled out a photo she kept tucked away. She handed it to Barney, and what he saw took his breath away. It was a photo of Sam, covered in

tubes and wires, as she fought for her life. He could see her face, and that it was badly scarred. His lip trembled, and he closed his eyes, handing

the photo back to Virginia. He couldn't bare the sight of it. Virginia put it away and put her hands together before she finished, "She was lucky to

survive; she had a broken neck, was stabbed by a tree branch that tore a hole in her heart, and almost lost her eye. But he died on impact."

Barney remembered the scar that he'd seen on her eyebrow. He touched his hand to his own forehead, remembering it.

Virginia noticed. "She was hurt, bad. She still has a scar on her ribcage, along with that one." She pointed to her forehead. "It took a while for her

body to recover, but even longer to heal her broken heart. Until last night."

"I don't understand..." Barney whispered.

Virginia smiled. "She likes you, Barney. She _really_ likes you. I am pretty sure everybody knew it but you." She chuckled at that last statement. This

confused Barney further. "She was starting to let go, but she needed a push. When you kissed her, that was the push she needed.

"But she ran outta here-!" Barney exclaimed, but stopped. Virginia nodded.

"She ran to our house, and completely broke down..." Virginia told him everything. She left out nothing, even told him that she liked the kiss.

"She'd felt guilty about suviving when he didn't. Listen, Barney. She will come back to you. Just give her time to let go first. Now she knows you

have feelings for her, too, it makes things easier."

LATER THAT DAY

"Ow!" Sam exclaimed painfully as her cousin Jimmy unintentionally yanked her hair too hard. She'd volunteered to let him practice

brushing her hair, so that he could learn to be more gentle with Hope. That was one thing that he wished he could do but the little girl

would run whenever she saw her father holding a brush. Either Sam or Sabrina would brush her hair.

"Sorry!" He said, pulling back. Sam sighed and rested her chin on her hand. She tried her hardest to relax, but her low tolerance for pain

wasn't helping. Sabrina watched from the other side of the counter, already seeing the look of annoyance on Sam's face. She sighed and

kept her face neutral as her cousin continued trying to brush her hair.

"Do you ever cut it? It must be past your butt!" He said, flicking the brush to loosen the stray hairs he'd yanked out of her scalp. Sam

wrinkled her nose. She mumbled something under her breath, but only Sabrina caught it,

"Barney likes it long..."

Jimmy continued, still not getting the hang of it. Sabrina tried coaching him, showing him the gestures with her hands. He tried, but after a

few minutes, he suddenly stopped.

"Whoa...Ok, I think I'm done..." Jimmy let go, dropping the brush on the counter with a clatter. Sam raised an eyebrow as she reached to

touch her hair.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suspicious. Jimmy grabbed a paper towel, pressed it to her scalp, and pulled it away, revealing droplets of

blood. Sam rolled her eyes.

"I told you I was tenderheaded! Look, I survived being impaled by a tree, I can handle a hairbrush mualing." She said, pulling her now

slightly frizzy hair back out of her face. Suddenly she caught sight of the front door opening out of the corner of her eye. Virginia came in,

followed by Burt, and Barney. Sam winced, quickly grabbing her brush and making a quick exit to the bathroom. Keeping the door open a

crack, she called out,

"Just remember, Jimmy; kitten, not lion." before closing it completely to fix her long hair.

Back in the kitchen, Hope made herself comfortable with a bowl of Goldfish while the other adults talked.

"What's wrong with Samantha?" Barney asked. Sabrina smirked, "She just had her hair 'done' by Jimmy."

"Why...?" Burt asked, a little worried. Jimmy threw the paper towel onto the counter and shrugged. "Sorry..." at his wife. Sabrina chuckled

and explained,

"I didn't expect her to let him practice on her hair, but he tried." Sam came out, a few minutes later. She was wearing a hot pink button

down shirt made of lace, with a floorlength black skirt, the bottom half made of chiffon. She blushed when she spotted Barney, who was

very obviously staring at her. Virginia smiled at he niece.

"There you are! Don't worry about Jimmy, honey, he'll be fine-" Just then, Sabrina's cell phone rang. Excusing herself, she went to the

bathroom to take the call.

"He just doesn't know his own strength, that's all." Virginia finished. Sam shrugged, sitting next to Hope. Jimmy gave his cousin an

apologetic look, and Sam caught the slightly irritated glance Barney shot him. She snickered.

"Jimmy, it's ok! Honestly, it's not that bad. Look, see, no blood. You just need to practice.

"Hey, Sam?" Sabrina called from the door to the bathroom, "Would you mind taking Hope to her room for her nap? I don't want her to get

cranky later tonight."

"Sure. Come on, sweetie."

Sam lifted Hope into her arms and carried her to her room. When she disappeared, Sabrina turned to the others.

"My Aunt Maxine is coming by for our anniversary next week." She whispered. Barney's eyes widened, and he let out a horrified whimper.

"Barney, don't worry. She broke up with you, remember? I love my aunt, but you deserve better than that," Sabrina reminded her boss

and friend.

"You're right...I just don't want her to upset Samantha." he sighed, defeated. "I shouldn't-"

"Don't you _dare_ -do you want _her_ to think you're a _coward_?" Virginia lowered her voice, glancing in the direction of the bedrooms before

glaring at Barney. He took a step back, a little put off.

"But-"

"No buts, Barney," Sabrina said before Virginia could. "Listen, everything will be fine. She'll pobably be too distracted by my mom anyway.

Unfortunately she's going to be there too."

"Really?! Well, that's a good thing, right?" Virginia was surprised.

"Yeah. She said she didn't expect us to still be married for our first year anniversary. " Sabrina rolled her eyes.

"ah, you're right...she did imply that the only reason she was interested in me was because I didn't fight for what I believed in..." Barney

trailed off. Virginia patted his shoulder kindly.

"Well there's no fighting this time. I told her to keep a civil tongue." Sabrina reassured him.

So The Chance's anniversary party came quickly. Sam had picked out a simple black dress, with a high low skirt made of flowy material. The

neckline was low, so she wore a black lace tank top under it to hide her scar. the sleeves were sheer, and covered her forearms.

Jimmy and Sabrina had gotten kicked out of their own house for the day,leaving Jimmy's parents, Sam, and Mawmaw to get the house

ready for the party. Mawmaw kept Hope occupied while the others worked, opening up all the doors and lighting candles on every

surface.

Sam thought about how she was going to handle Barney being there. She was actually looking forward to seeing him. Since the incident at

the grocery store, she knew she had to speak to him.

She took a deep breath and stood back to examine her handiwork. Her pale skin shone through the thranslucent dress. All the scars and

freckles were covered. Good. With a quick scowl at her appearance, she slipped on her flats and headed out toward the living room.

Sabrina and Jimmy arrived a few minutes later, all dressed up. Everyone was already out in the back yard. Including Sabrina's mom and

Aunt.

The two women were chatting alone by the hot tub, Barney kept glancing at them nervously, as he sat with Sabrin's cousin, Shelley.

"Don't 're too interested in each others' butts. "Shelley reassured Barney. He nodded, not feeling much better. His attention

was caught by Sabrina, Jimmy, and...Samantha. She looked even more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. He had a feeling _he_ had

something to do with the fact that she'd left her hair down. She normally had it up, but not tonight. Only the front was combed back, held

up with a small jewel covered clip. He caught himself staring, and looked away, then thought better of it. Taking a deep breath, he got up,

excusing himself, and slowly made his way to Sam. Sam saw him out of the corner of her eye, making his way towards her. Her heart

skipped a beat as she noticed how handsome he looked in his suit. He even wore a purple and blue tie, which brought out his gunmetal

grey eyes. Her stomach twisted painfully as he finally reached her.

"Y-you look beautiful..." He said, clearly nervous. Sam smiled weakly. She was about to thank him when she was cut off by an annoying

female voice directly behind Barney.

"Well hi there!" Barney winced, turning to see Maxine standing there. He glanced back, and gave Sam an apologetic look. Sam clammed

up; she wasn't good at meeting new people, and Barney's obvious discomfort was contagious.

"H-hi, Maxine..." Barney said weakly to his ex. She was wearing a simple blue dress, wit a thin black belt around her waist. He did his best

to hide his irritation.

"Long time no see, stranger. I-"

"Barney! Come help with these chairs, would you?" Burt called from near the shed. Barney excused himself again, and headed that way.

"And who are you?" Maxine's voice was suspicious, with a hint of feigned interest. Sabrina and Virginia came over.

"Aunt Maxine, this is Jimmy's cousin, Samantha. She lives with Jimmy's parents,"

"Ah, new to Natesville, huh? Yeah, not much to love about this town. I tried it but it's to..." She glanced over at Barney "Mediocore."

Sam sipped her drink, trying to keep her mouth shut. Maxine was giving her a look that made her feel a bit self concious.

"Who did your har?" the older woman asked bluntly. Sam frowned.

"I didn't have it done, I just brushed it back-"

"No, I mean the color? You had it colored, right? The highlights look really well done."

Highlights?

"No one...its my natural hair... and thanks..." Maxine gave Sam a small smile, and walked off, not even excusing herself. Sam just scowled,

walking over toward Virginia.

"He hates her, don't feel threatened." Virginia whispered to her neice. Sam shrugged. Maybe tonight wasn't the night. The next three

hours seemed to be a never ending game of cat and mouse. Every time Barney looked at her, his chest would ache painfully. He wanted to

talk to her, but he kept reminding himself that he'd prmised to let her come to him. It killed him inside, but the image of her tearstained

face as she ripped herself from his arms wouldn't leave his mind. Little did he know that Sam wanted badly to just let go. To kiss him, and

take the last step. But she felt like there was still something wrong.

That ''something wrong'' kept rudely making her presence known whenever Sam would feel a small wave of confidence. It was almost as

though she knew of Barney's and Sam's situation.

"She's a young thing, isn't she?" She said to Barney. "Probably came here to-"

"She came here to better herself. That's all you need to know." Sabrina told her. She could see the vein in both Barney's and Burt's necks

start to stand out, so she directed her aunt to the other side of the yard.

This went on for a while. At around 10:30, Maxine decided to pull out her surprise she'd brought for her niece.

"No, it's fine, you really don't have to-"

"Oh, come on, it'll be great. Shelley's already set it up-" The sky lit up at the moment, and a loud BOOM made everyone jump.

Everyone except Sam. She dropped the wine glass she was holding, and froze. Her eyes stared transfixed with horror at the colorful bursts

flashing across the sky.

The last thing she remembered from that night was the loud BOOM and bright lights from the other car.

But something happened. She blinked. Virginia and Burt were standing on either side of her, attempting to get her attention. And catching

her as she collapsed.

In the background, she could hear music playing. The lyrics reached her heart, which seemed to finally start beating again.

One step closer

I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more

Sam looked at each of them, and slowly, smiled.

"I'm not scared anymore."


End file.
